Cleaning a toilet bowl is typically one of the most undesirable jobs for most persons. Nevertheless, toilet bowls must be kept clean in order to prevent sanitary problems, the potential for irritable smells, and the possibility of harmful bacteria buildup.
As a result, various types of bowl cleaning products are known. Such products typically fall within two categories, namely, cleaning by hand with a bowl cleaner or with automatic “in tank” or “in bowl” cleaners. Hand cleaning typically takes the form of a toilet cleaning brush or sponge. Such devices, however, are displeasing due to the excessive dripping therefrom and because storage between uses is unsanitary. Further, there is no premeasured dosage with current bowl cleaning products. Most users just estimate the amount to use and potentially could use too little and thus not achieve a disinfectant level, or too much, which increases the cost per application. Additionally, bowl cleaning products are very toxic and present a potential safety hazard.
Automatic “in tank” or “in bowl” cleaners, which dispense a dosage upon flushing of the toilet, generally are not as effective as manual scrubbing. Therefore most consumers typically supplement such automatic cleaners with hand scrubbing and cleaning. In addition to often ineffective cleaning, “in tank” or “in bowl” cleaners have other disadvantages. For example, “clear water” types of cleaners give no indication when they are used up and need changing, and having to place one's arm into a toilet bowl and/or tank to retrieve spent containers is also unpleasant and undesirable. Further, the “blue water” products are, in many instances, only cosmetic and, at best, merely add a small amount of surfactant to the water.
Numerous types of cleaning compositions, as well as holders for disposable cleaning pads, are known in the art. Illustrative are the compositions and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,852,201, 4,523,347, 4,031,673, 3,413,673 and 3,383,158.
In the '201 patent, a toilet bowl cleaner is disclosed having a handle with a removable cleaning pad disposed on one end. The toilet bowl cleaner also includes a cleaning solution that is contained in the pad.
There are numerous disadvantages associated with the disclosed toilet bowl cleaner. First, the pad is substantially rigid and thus can not conform to the various curvatures of a toilet bowl. Second, the pad release mechanism requires a user to directly contact the used pad to remove and replace the pad. Finally, the pad is restrained to one plane of rotation by virtue of a mechanical joint.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a disposable cleaning head that overcomes the disadvantages and shortcomings associated with prior art cleaning heads, pads and systems.
It is another object of the invention to provide a disposable cleaning head that substantially enhances the effectiveness of cleaning a toilet bowl as compared to prior art brush and sponge systems.
It is another object of the invention to provide a disposable cleaning head that substantially reduces the time associated with cleaning a toilet bowl.
It is another object of the invention to provide a disposable cleaning head that is readily engageable to and releasable from a variety of handles.
It is another object of the invention to provide a disposable cleaning head that is readily engagable to and releasable from a variety of handles without the necessity of direct user contact with or handling of the cleaning head.
It is another object of the invention to provide a disposable cleaning head that includes a flexible fitment that facilitates bending in multiple planes and rotation of the cleaning head relative to the handle without the necessity of a mechanical joint.
It is another object of the invention to provide a disposable cleaning head that includes a pre-determined amount of cleaning composition that effectively cleans and disinfects a toilet surface.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a disposable cleaning head having sufficient flexibility to maintain optimum surface contact during use on curved surfaces and/or constrained toilet bowl regions.